Northwest NEWS

November 1, 1999

Book vandal arrested

WOODINVILLE--A 54-year-old transient book destroyer who lives in his car was arrested by Seattle police on Oct. 23.

Saving rent apparently meant he was not that hard up for food, however, since his modus operandi involved pouring syrup into book return chutes in local libraries. The man had two outstanding felony warrants on record, and has a history of harassing and threatening Gov. Locke, police and other government officials, said a King County Police official.

On Oct. 18, he damaged approximately $100 worth of books at Woodinville's King County library. He damaged a total of some $550 worth of books at the Bellevue Regional Library in two incidents on Oct. 13 and Oct. 19. He went hog-wild on Oct. 13, also hitting chutes in Kenmore and Kingsgate.

Local libraries had temporarily sealed off chutes until the mentally disturbed man was apprehended.